In the beginning……….
I am the artist responsible for the Architectural Fragment.
The story of the fragment did not start when it appeared in the street, during early 1992. It did not even start when I dreamed it up and designed it. It started well before that. It had its roots in a bucket of sand. That, plus a bit of negative news.
My soul-work lies in the making of simple black wood-fired ceramic bowls. For many years I practiced and perfected this work, as a result I was able to create a living from it.
Then 1989 arrived and with it a recession. It became impossible for me to sell, thus live off, my work. Since 'the spirit to remain independent' is stronger in me than anything else, I had to find another way to create an income. I can't remember exactly how this came about, but the answer arrived in a bucket of sand. Yes, back to the source. At least, the creative source of my childhood.
One way we learn about new materials is through creative play. Just play. This play goes on until the artwork idea is revealed. I engaged in it and learned what I could and could not do with sand. I did this by pushing the limits to the point of breaking, falling down, cracking up or whatever it is sand does when you push it too far. As a result I was able to create a tall pointy heap of sand which was about almost two meters tall and only 40 or so cms at the base. The second aspect which occurred was that the imagery hidden in the sand, made itself known to me. ‘Fragments of Architecture’. I am still in my studio. Playing. Practicing. Making. Researching.
When, in time, I made my sand artwork ‘public’, I took the audience on a journey from a starting point they understood. This starting point was architecture.
Whenever we walk in the main street of any town, the visual noise emanating from reconstructed shopfronts is very strong. These facades hide wonderful architectural expressions generally of great beauty and strength. To point this out, I developed the idea of making replicas of these older architectural aspects, in sand on the footpath.
"What a Waste of Time" Part 2
It is easy to work in one's studio when the only critic is yourself. Working in the street is different. Besides the various weather conditions, noise and pollution, you have to put up with all sorts of comments and attitudes. You are open to any type of criticism, praise and condemnation.
Imagine this. A truck arrives and delivers a couple of tonnes of sand on the foot-path. A worker with a shovel starts to move it about. Nothing unusual, everyday occurrence. However, instead of the sand being shovelled into a hole or used for making concrete, it is being formed into the replica of an aspect of a building nearby. Using first the shovel, then a straight edge a few trowels and various kitchen implements he develops the piece into a fragment of architecture. More often then not it is destroyed the same day, or taken away.
"Bit of a waste of time mate?" I am working in Swanston Street, Melbourne, intensely involved in some detail, there is a lot of street noise and it takes all my power of concentration to stay focussed. I get up and address the speaker. "What are you doing yourself at the moment?" I asked him in answer to his statement. 'Having my lunch”. "And after that?" I asked him. "I'll go back to the office. I work for the council" he adds. "Bit of a waste of time mate?" I answer.
Most asked questions. "What is it?", "How long will it take?", "Is that sand?”, “who is paying you for that” "Can I kick it?” (not kidding) "It won’t last, what’s the use?” Well, what is the use of a play, of a musical concert or of anything which is transient in its nature? What is the use of life?
The reason why I create these sorts of works is that I enjoy the challenge and the actual work. In some cases it creates surprise, joy, amazement at the skill and an experience of art in the making. Besides it keeps me off the street…… Whichever way I look at it, working on the street toughens one for all sorts of situations. You need to be creative, fearless, quick off the mark, quick in your responses and smart with your tongue.
We have now arrived at the actual story of the creation of 'Architectural Fragment' in Swanson Street. Which came as a result of all that went before and for which I certainly had to deal with lots more than the general public in the street.
"From Soft to Hard Art” Part 3
Each public art commission is also a research project. The relationship between the work and environment throws up numerous complex designs, social, engineering, landscaping and economic considerations. Headache stuff.
Additionally, I had to deal with a whole set of new, interesting, demanding, scheming, wonderful and difficult people. Town Planners, engineers, The Lord Mayor of Melbourne and City Council, Arts Officers, Committee members, Stone Masons, Truck drivers, Crane drivers, Insurance brokers and Agents, the Traffic police, Paving contractors, Photographers, a union, newspapers, all wanting a piece of the action. Weird and wonderful in hindsight but at the time pretty scary.
Imagine signing a contract the value of your house. Stuff-up, house gone. Looking for intensity in work. Here it is. A year of it. This was the time it took from the moment of receiving the brief to the installation of the work on the footpath.
When I read the brief, for a sculpture in Swanston Walk, the image was waiting in my mind. By this time I had made numerous architectural pieces from sand which, when finished, looked like stone. Sandstone. However, this piece needed more power, since it was to be placed in a visually very noisy environment.
The basic form of the proposed sculpture had to be both physically and visually strong. For this reason I chose a triangular pyramid. For the largest and most prominent face of the work I designed a Pythagorean triangle whose sides measured 3 by 4 by 5 metres. These measurements are based on the living canon of proportions and, in turn, form the basis for the "Golden Mean'. This gave the work an aesthetically strong appearance, an inherent strength.
The degree of lean and consequent height of the apex of this triangular pyramid was determined on site. I went to Melbourne with a circle of string, 12 metres long. There were three small loops at the correct points (5, 4, 3 mtrs) to create the triangle. Placing the five meter length along the ground I secured the corners with two screw drivers. I got my friend to lift the string triangle until, (in my view) the correct angle had been achieved. No measurements. Working by feel and instinct. I then measured the height of that point. I now had an idea of the basic form.
The triangle which faces the Library represents an aspect of the roof of the building in the ground. Rather then leaving it plain I decided to design its finish using the same bluestone pavers as in the pavement all around. It now looked as if a large triangle had been lifted up out of the footpath. Unbeknownst to me I had also laid the foundations for a skate board challenge.
I choose bluestone because of its typical Melbourne quality. It is used in many of Melbourne's buildings, bridges, pavements and monuments. As far as I knew it had never been used for the purpose of art. I found it a challenge to use a purely functional and utilitarian type stone for a work of art. This decision resulted in the work appearing as part of the footpath, grown, as it were, from it. The work seems to belong in its environment. Additionally it is extremely strong and durable.
Big Work, Long Story (Part 4)
Each artwork commission is, or invariably becomes, a research project.....
Having created the idea and worked out the design, the material and the site, it was now time to put all this together in a presentable package.
The design presentation is where an idea, which so far existed only in the artist’s head, is transformed into a visual manifestation in order to communicate it to people who would have no idea of what the artist is talking about. Who find it difficult and, at times impossible, to visualise.
I made a model and created a large folder of explanatory drawings, including some photo montages. Walking a large model through the city was a nightmare. Another nightmare was signing a contract which contained a dead-line.
As part of the design presentation I had worked out a fully developed budget. This is based on quotes received from a variety of people. What I hadn't expected was the way in which most tradesmen, when presenting their final account, added dollars willy-nilly, and called this 'Extras'. Luckily I had an excellent solicitor and had insisted on written quotes. With a deadline, like a noose around my neck, I couldn't afford to play silly buggers.
Over time the work developed. The piece was made by a master craftsman in a workshop like a war zone. Huge slabs of bluestone were cut and bolted onto a steel frame. This frame was made from inch thick eye beams. The whole weighing eleven tonne. The letters L I B R A and R Y were sand blasted into it and then gold leafed.
The word Libra was not used because it forms part of the word library. It was used because I wanted to add something personal to the work. I am a Libran. By adding R Y on the other side the word library could also be created. I played with the word, and as you know, an activity I enjoy.
Transportation. Another intense project. A slow and nerve wrecking journey. An interesting detail here is that in order for the work to be lifted off the low-loader onto the footpath, we needed a 15 tonne crane. Big number. Because of its size it would have to stand in the centre of Swanston Street and this would interfere with the running of the trams. This meant the lifting and placing of the work had to be done between 1 and 6 a.m. Night clubbing in Swanston Walk.
It was during this time that the questions came rolling in. The complete installation took a few days and most of this time was taken up by dealing with the amazement of the public. I could easily fill part 5 of this story with questions and replies. Suffice it to understand that when you place a work in the public domain the first thing you have to do is let go of your idea of it and trade this with the ideas of the public. Every member of the public/audience came with his/her interpretation. All of a sudden the work had as many meanings as there were folks looking at it.
Some insisted it was appearing out of the ground while others were sure it was disappearing into it. Obviously positive and negative ways of looking at something. As for me? From taking an aspect of architecture from way up high and placing it at ground level I had hoped to point out the beauty of an older way of building. Another influence in my consideration was the experience of walking on a 6000 year old road in an ancient landscape in Samos, Greece, and enjoying huge pieces of architecture lying around the landscape as if they were carefully placed in a sculpture garden. Memories..... memories.....
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Petrus Spronk
www.petrusspronk.com
